Exploring Barcelona laneways often leads to hidden gems, and one of them is Dim Light BCN. This eclectic gallery is the vision of Marino along with Jalal, two talented and driven individuals who shared their creative journey with me.

In our conversation, they spoke about the inspiration and philosophy behind their art—how each piece reflects a unique story and identity. Jalal also opened up about his struggles and how he discovered that art is his true calling, turning challenges into purpose.

Dim Light BCN is more than just a gallery. It’s a celebration of creativity, resilience, and expression tucked away in Barcelona's vibrant laneways.

Watch this snippet, then dive into the full, inspiring conversation on Melting Pot.

#ArtistInterview #CreativeMinds #ArtGallery #DimLightBCN #BarcelonaArtScene #ArtistLife #Collaboration #ArtPodcast

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Bestselling author Aaron Ryan wants his sons to understand a hard truth about the world: it is "extraordinarily unfair." In his award-winning saga, he wrestles with one of humanity's oldest struggles: the fiery, seductive line between justice and revenge. He gives you a glimpse into the powerful lesson that fuels his stories. A lesson about hope in the face of injustice.

Aaron Ryan watched his industry begin to vanish. Clients he'd worked with for years were replaced not by people, but by algorithms. He calls the damage "irreparable." This is the raw, unfiltered cost of AI that many aren't talking about. He gives you a glimpse into the fight to protect human creativity in a digital world.

Ready to try it? The full journey is live on Melting Pot. Listen now on your favourite streaming platform.

#justicevsrevenge #authorlife #philosophy #lifelessons #dystopianbooks #fatherhood #writingcommunity #bookstagram #powerfulstories #mustlisten #deepconversations

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At 15, Robin Ajder wasn’t sketching lines on a canvas.He was chasing lines on a table. What began as teenage highs spiraled into chaos, until art became the only way out.

With raw honesty, he shares how addiction nearly consumed him, how abstract art gave him a lifeline, and why he now creates not just for himself but for survival.

But amidst the darkness, he found a spark in art. He gives you a glimpse into how painting became more than an outlet; it became his way of survival and self-discovery.

This is not just a story about drugs and recovery. It’s about transformation, resilience, and finding freedom through creativity.

Episode streaming wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube.

#fromstruggletostrength #artashealing #journeyofresilience #realstoriesmatter #healingthroughart #lifeunfiltered #breakingthesilence #addictionrecovery #voicesthatinspire #podcast

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Payal just stepped into Surarquía’s sun-lit workshop near the Sagrada Familia and straight into the story of two South-American dreamers who turned a Barcelona flat into a leather lab.

Alejandro (Venezuela) and Felipe (Colombia) swapped architecture sketches for pattern-making, taught themselves to sew, and after kitchen-table prototypes, opened this atelier where every bag is cut, skived, and stitched by their own hands

. In 2023 they finally moved the machines out of the apartment and into a purpose-built space, but the process is still gloriously slow and local

In today’s episode, Payal gets the founders’-eye tour: the vintage Adler stitcher, the splitter that hums like an old Vespa, and the stopwatch that shows why a single Surarquía piece takes an entire workday to earn its seams.

Episode available on all podcast streaming platform and on YouTube.

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Blanca Rodríguez (@thewoundedhealer) is a bilingual storyteller who turns untreated childhood trauma into teachable hope. On stage she champions the “happy-chemistry” formula she calls D.O.S.E.- Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins and shows how music, laughter and dance spark each one for real body-mind repair.

In this Melting Pot episode Blanca unpacks:

• why a two-minute shoulder release on your dog can calm your own nervous system

• her roadmap from shattered childhood to global speaker, massage therapist and ocean-volunteer

Ready for a dose of movement-powered healing? 🎧 Tune in to your favourite streaming platform and dance your way to dopamine.

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Mid-divorce, Karen Rudolf rang her paralegal to vent. “Every complaint is cha-ching, and a judge will soon decide your kids’ future.” That blunt response snapped her Mama Bear wide awake.

Instead of drowning in rage and legal fees, Karen plunged into communication bootcamps so she could speak for herself and for her children, inside the courtroom and beyond. Those hard-earned skills became her Stop-Change-Shift clarity framework, a sassy-classy-bad-assy method that helps you pause, breathe, ask sharper questions, and steer your own story.

Ready to try it?

The full journey is live on Melting Pot. Listen now on your favourite streaming platform.

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From Chicago to Hollywood sets and the heart of historic Greenwood Avenue, John Wayne S III’s path was anything but predictable. Once a pre-med student, a chance phone call landed him on a film set and he never looked back.

Over a career spanning three decades, John has directed music videos for Grammy-winning artists, produced award-winning films like “Red All Over” and “The Tuskegee Airmen Project,” and founded Londyn Town Pictures, inspired by his daughter. But what sets his work apart isn’t just the credits, it’s his unwavering commitment to telling stories that push for change. Whether he’s exploring gun violence, mental health, or lost chapters of Black history, John’s films are rooted in truth, compassion, and the belief that cinema should start hard conversations.

Dive into a conversation about creative detours, building legacy, and why the most powerful stories come from lived experience.

Full episode now streaming on Podcast Now Boarding on all your favourite platforms (Spotify, Apple, YouTube) or wherever you listen to podcasts

#filmmaking #blackhistory ##chicago #filmmakingchicago #race #mentalhealth #grammywinning #awardwinning #podcastmeltingpot #podcast #openconversations

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What if you didn’t have to choose just one life?

Adam LaSalle never fit in a box and he doesn’t want you to, either. From teaching English and math, to leading a music program, to acting on NBC’s Chicago Fire and performing off-Broadway, Adam has built a career by refusing to follow the “one path” rule.

In this episode, Adam reveals:

- Why being a multi-hyphenate actor, musician, coach, writer is powerful.

- The moment he realized he could rewrite his own story (and what it took to do it)

- The lessons he carried from the classroom to the stage and why every audience just wants to feel seen.

- His journey is proof that reinvention is essential.

If you’re ready to break out of autopilot and claim your next act, this conversation is your permission slip.

Listen now and get inspired by a story that doesn’t believe in limits.

Episode available on Spotify, Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also available on YouTube

#MeltingPotPodcast #Reinvention #MultiHyphenate #BreakTheRules #Inspiration #LifeStories #AdamLaSalle

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